Author: Staff Reporter

England great Sir Geoffrey Boycott believes the current side are capable of beating Australia for the first time since the 2010–11 series. The former opener said the present Australian team are “not unbeatable” and that the visitors are, player for player, more talented than the hosts. While acknowledging England’s impressive talent pool, Boycott called for a more measured approach from Ben Stokes and his team. “England can beat Australia in Brisbane,” Boycott wrote in his column for *The Telegraph*. “Man for man, they are more talented than the Aussies, but it doesn’t help our chances of success if Ben Stokes…

Former India all-rounder Irfan Pathan praised ex-India captain Rohit Sharma after his superb knock of 57 off 51 balls against South Africa in the first ODI of the three-match series at the JSCA International Stadium Complex in Ranchi. Speaking on his YouTube channel, Irfan said that Rohit’s age is not visible because the batter has improved his fitness. “As for Rohit Sharma, he seems to be at his peak. It doesn’t look like he is 38, he has improved his fitness. But the way he is playing according to the conditions and batting flawlessly, the half-century only shows with what…

South African pacer Dale Steyn praised India’s star batter Virat Kohli after he scored a match-winning century in the first ODI against South Africa. Steyn said Kohli’s amazing energy and strong mindset even at the age of 37 is commendable. Virat scored his 52nd century in ODI cricket, which helped India secure a 17-run win in Ranchi on November 30. In a conversation with JioStar, Steyn said, “When you speak to most 37 or 38-year-olds, they say they hate leaving home, their dog, their kids. But he (Virat) is in a place mentally where he’s eager to be out there…

Former India spinner Ravichandran Ashwin said that Kohli’s decision to retire from Test cricket was a well-thought-out decision. Since the last few days, there were many reports that Virat Kohli was requested to come out of his retirement from Test cricket. But Kohli himself ended all those talks by confirming that he will only continue to play ODIs after his brilliant knock of 135 against South Africa that helped India win the first ODI of the three-match series in Ranchi. Speaking on his YouTube channel, Ashwin said that these kinds of big decisions are not taken instinctively. “What’s there to…

Australian batter Marnus Labuschagne has shown strong support for Usman Khawaja, whose place in the playing eleven has come under scrutiny ahead of the second Ashes Test in Brisbane. With debates going on about the make-up of Australia’s opening order after the win in Perth, Labuschagne made it clear that Khawaja is an important player and that he himself will not be moving up the order, even if changes are made. Speaking at the Gabba, where the day–night Test will begin on Thursday, Labuschagne praised Khawaja’s experience and ability, saying, “I don’t think he needs advice,” he told reporters. “He’s…

Indian players Kuldeep Yadav and Tilak Varma shared their joy after watching Virat Kohli’s brilliant 135-run knock in the first ODI against South Africa in Ranchi. Both the young members highlighted what Kohli’s presence means to the team. In a video shared by the BCCI, Kuldeep said watching him bat in Ranchi reminded him of Virat’s captaincy days. “My career started with Virat Bhai when he was the captain. The way that he batted, I felt I had gone back 8-9 years. The way he was batting in 2017, 2018 and 2019,” said Kuldeep. He added, “It was a very…

India’s former captain Sunil Gavaskar believes India’s close victory in the first ODI against South Africa should encourage the team to stay cautious in the upcoming matches. India secured a 17-run win in Ranchi, and the match went to the final over, which shows that South Africa are capable of crossing the mark. In a conversation with Star Sports after the game, Gavaskar praised South Africa’s fighting spirit and said, “South Africa’s fightback was fantastic to watch. Right till the end, till the last over, it was a question of touch and go, and you have got to admire the…

South Africa’s all-rounder Marco Jansen has opened up about facing India’s star batter Virat Kohli in the first ODI in Ranchi. Jansen described how tough it is for any bowler when a player of Kohli’s stature and calibre occupies the crease. Kohli smashed his 52nd ODI hundred, which helped India win the first match by 17 runs. Jansen highlighted the challenges of bowling to Kohli. “When you bowl to world-class players, it’s quite difficult to get them out,” he said at the press conference on Sunday. “I always try to get a batter in his first 10 or 15 balls…

Australia batter Steve Smith is the newest addition to the list of players using black anti-glare strips below their eyes. This was made famous by West Indies great Shivnarine Chanderpaul. Smith tried the anti-glare strips when Australia had a floodlit training session before their pink-ball second Test against England in the Ashes series, which begins on Thursday at the Gabba. Smith said during Australia’s last day-night Test against West Indies: “The pink ball in general is just a completely different game. Personally, I find it quite tricky just picking the ball up at certain times of the day and things…

India legend Sunil Gavaskar believes that veteran India player Virat Kohli is the ‘greatest’ batsman in the one-day format of the game. Speaking on JioHotstar, Gavaskar said that even the modern-generation players accept the greatness of Kohli. “It’s not just me. Those who have played with him and against him all agree that he is the greatest in the one-day format.” Kohli scored his 52nd hundred in ODI cricket against South Africa in Ranchi and became the first male cricketer in the world to reach that many hundreds in any format of the game. The Delhi-born cricketer played a brilliant…